Taoiseach will congratulate Donald Trump for US tax law changes

Leo Varadkar has said America has emulated Ireland's tax policy and he will not be criticising US President Donald Trump about the administration's tax changes when he meets him.

Mr Varadkar said he will raise the matter of corporation tax when he has a bilateral meeting with Mr Trump tomorrow at the White House.

"What President Trump has done in many ways is emulated our tax policy," Mr Varadkar said.

"He's decided that it makes sense to have lower tax for business and that it makes sense to tax companies on money they make in your country rather than trying to tax them on money they make in other parts of the world.

So if anything I'll be congratulating him that he's successfully changed America's tax laws and brought them more into line with ours.

He added: "I'm certainly not going to criticise him for going a long way towards the tax system we have in Ireland which I think is going to benefit America and is going to benefit Ireland too."

He added that there was still a significant differential between the two rates and the rate was lower in Ireland.

"American countries are in Ireland not just because we have a competitive tax rate but because we're in the Eurozone, because we're in the EU, because we've a good talent pool, because of our approach to business and to trade as well."

Mr Varadkar made the comments after a roundtable discussion with companies at the US Chamber of Commerce where he said every company around the table said they would continue to be committed to Ireland and would be intensifying their relationship, despite the changes announced by Mr Trump.

The Taoiseach added that Ireland's role as a friend and ally of America was going to be enhanced in some ways by the UK's decision, regrettable as it was, to leave the EU.